Without women, any development is expected to be lopsided. Women play a significant and indispensable role in wholistic development. Through the community based organizations we help them to be aware of their rights and their space in the society. We guide them to take their own life changing decisions. The celebration of women’s international day gives the women an opportunity to exhibit their talents and to be vocal to the rest of the community about their expectations.

Women are to economically and socially self-reliant to actively participate in the development programs. Thus we exclusively run a microcredit program mostly provide them interest free loans so that they can relieve themselves from the clutches of money lenders and use the money as the start-up capital for their choice of income generation activities.

GPF is strongly penetrating in holistic approach and empowering and equipping women for their sustainability in livelihoods. As part of this, GPF has started a Sanitary Napkin Unit (SNU) in a village called Andhra Kesari (AK) Nagar, in Bapatla District. This unit is run by selected women from different SHGs. GPF trained these women in making, marketing and bookkeeping. GPF plays a pivotal role in training and empowering women in Micro enterprises. The Trainings to the community, particularly SHG women are a continuous process and GPF provides technical guidance in product making.

Sanitary Napkins are made in a very hygienic atmosphere with utmost care and with qualitative raw materials. The brand is 'SHG' (Self-help Group). Team in SNU captured the market in Educational institutions and individuals by demonstrating the product in quality compared to the brands in the market and the feedback from the users is excellent. The photos show the women making and demonstrating in a school.

GPF also started Farming Milky Mushrooms (MM) in another village, Gavinivaripalem which is 4 kem from Bapatla. There, too, selected women from different SHGs were trained in the entire process of making and marketing with the technical support and guidance and in collaboration with Agriculture Engineering College, Bapatla. The Milky Mushrooms are pure organic and sold at a reasonable price for individuals. The raw materials are procured from Horticulture college in Bangalore.

The joy of community is boundless as they are working under a roof instead of earlier doing labour in the hot sun and rain bending their bodies in paddy / tobacco / sugar cane fields gaining dignity and self-respect in the society and being supportive to their families.

Capacity building program was organized for GPF's SHG women from two village on 7th Oct'25 about awareness of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) aimed to enhance the knowledge and understanding and about various aspects of IPR and its importance in promoting innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship and financial linkages with banks in collaboration with AP MSME Development Corporation and National Institute for Micro & Small Scale and Medium Enterprises, Hyderabad.

They were oriented on the procedures for filing IPR applications, the legal framework governing intellectual property in Andhra Pradesh and the role of IPR in protecting innovative ideas. The session also included interactive discussions besides screening the case studies to help the women relate theoretical concepts to real-life situations.

The resource persons highlighted various government loan schemes and eligibility criteria to the women and unemployed youth and MSME & Entrepreneur Development policy with a concept of One Family One Entrepreneur by 2030. They delivered an insightful presentation on different types of intellectual property such as trademarks, branding particularly as GPF is into sanitary napkin making and Milky Mushroom Farming by SHG women in the villages. This program was well attended by 90 women with some of their spouses. SHG women were very much benefitted with this program and GPF will put efforts for the way forward.

On Sunday 12th October 2025, evening GPF organised an outdoor Milky Mushroom (originally organic cultivated in the village - an income generating program for SHGs) cooking class for SHG women groups in Gavinivaripalem upon their request to teach cooking.

Our ME&L Coordinator with the support of other GPF team members showing a live cooking demonstration of cooking Milky Mushroom. The women with hands-on demonstration helped to learn cooking MM and thereafter were given the sample of it to taste by the SHG women behind cultivation. The feedback was delicious.

Also screened the hard labour of SHG women in farming the organic product which came out beyond expectations and with a good harvest.

This program was organised as part of a scheduled monthly meeting. The objective of this program was to bring awareness on the benefits of eating MM high protein replacing chicken regularly and to encourage buying.

It was well attended by 50 women out of 70+ along with village community leaders also. Some bought the item after taste.

The table below indicates the monetary support women have been receiving through their respective institutions.